Tick Prevention: How to Keep Your Yard Safe from Lyme Disease

Understanding the Risk of Lyme Disease

If you are reading this, you already know that ticks are a big issue and can carry and transmit a variety of serious illnesses. No U.S. region is free from the threat of ticks and tick-transmitted disease. Across the country, tick populations and diseases are on the rise. Protect your family and furry friends with our tips and our suggestion of ways you can prevent ticks in your yard.

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Creating a Tick-Free Zone

Ticks can be found in a variety of habitats, but they tend to prefer warm and humid environments. They are commonly found in grassy or wooded areas, including fields, forests, and even your own backyard. Ticks can also live in leaf litter, tall grasses, and bushes, as they require moisture to survive. They are often found on the tips of blades of grass or low-lying plants, waiting for a host to pass by. It is important to be aware of these preferred habitats and take necessary precautions when spending time in tick-prone areas.

1. Keep Your Grass Short

2. Eliminate Tick Habitats like brush piles

3. Add a 3-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and a wooded area to restrict tick migration.

4. Use preventative treatments to keep tick populations from expanding into your yard. Here are a few recommendations below.

5. Consider planting tick repellent plants

   • Lavender

   • Garlic

   • Lemongrass

   • Pennyroyal

   • Pyrethrum (type of chrysanthemum)

   • Sage

   • Beautyberry

   • Eucalyptus

   • Mint

   • Wormwood

Ticks are all season

Ticks are a year-round threat, with the risk of exposure present in every season. While there may be fewer ticks in the winter due to the cold weather, they are still potentially active if the temperatures don't drop below freezing. In the fall, when people tend to let their guard down, ticks are still active and looking for a host to feed on before winter. It's important to remain vigilant and take precautions to prevent tick bites, regardless of the season. With the right knowledge and protection, you can enjoy the outdoors and reduce your risk of tick-borne illnesses.

Tick Prevention through Lawn Treatments

Wondercide - A preventative and a treatment, this spray is a natural pest repellent, and kills mosquitoes, ants, fleas, ticks, roaches, flies, scorpions, chiggers, crickets, chinch bugs, japanese beetles, no-see-ums, gnats and more. Safe alternative to conventional pesticide sprays, baits, ant granules, zappers or foggers. Safe for cats, dogs and people of all ages, with no wait time for drying or reentry into sprayed outside areas. Just attach directly to a garden hose, spray your backyard. Made in the USA from powerful, sustainable plant-based ingredients. Cruelty free and biodegradable.

Use code LYMEWARRIOR15 for a discount.

Diatomaceous Earth - Diatomaceous earth is fine powder that sticks on bugs like powdered sugar on a donut. This dries them out, causing their pores to shrink and ultimately suffocating them.

While Diatomaceous Earth is safe for humans and dogs, you’ll want to wear a dust mask and a pair of gloves while you’re spreading diatomaceous earth to prevent inhalation as it can be harmful if inhaled.

Cedar Mulch or Cedar Essential Oil - Cedar oil is known to cause ticks and other insects to die by dehydration. It also liquefies their bodily fats and interferes with the pheromones responsible for attracting a mate. You can use an empty bottle-sprayer specifically for gardens and mix cedar oil with distilled water as an effective repellent. It lasts about 2 weeks, depending on rain and weather conditions. While this is a DIY treatment option, it takes a lot of work, will have to be applied regularly. Use the mulch by adding two inches of cedar mulch around the exterior foundation of your home and around trees and boundary areas in your yard--in an effort to help keep ticks at bay.

Tick Tubes - Thermacell Tick Control Tubes provide advanced tick protection for up to 1/4 acre per application. Place tubes around areas that attract mice, such as rock walls, wood piles, brush, sheds, gardens, and wooded areas. Tubes contain cotton treated with permethrin which mice pick up and bring back to their homes which kills ticks.

First Saturday Lime - First Saturday Lime is a monthly insect repellent that is eco-friendly, non-flammable, and has no known health hazards! The product dries out insects by clogging up the spiracles insects use to breathe, and works against ticks, ants, fleas, mites, lice, aphids, beetles, and more. To apply FSL to prevent insects, you use a yard spreader and cast 1 lb per 20 sq ft of FSL across a lawn. You should apply monthly starting in the Spring to disrupt the growth cycle of the pests. It is safe for pets, even if accidentally ingested. Click the photo to learn more! Use code LYMEWARRIOR for $2 off!

In conclusion, tick prevention is crucial for maintaining a safe and healthy yard. By implementing lawn treatments and additional prevention methods, such as creating a tick-free zone, you can significantly reduce the risk of Lyme disease for your family and pets. By taking these preventative measures, you can enjoy your outdoor space with peace of mind and keep your loved ones safe from ticks and Lyme Disease.